Moonclan's Warning
by audi3nc3ofon3
Summary: Long ago, a group of wanders named Moonclan foretold of a danger that could not be fought in the waking world; now their horror is about to become reality. The dark forest cats were not defeated, not permanently, and with one dark apprentice still alive, it is only a matter of time before the lake is a puddle of blood.
1. Prologue

_Okay, my first Warriors fic. Huzzar! Please review and tell me ALL your thoughts! This will mainly focus on some OC's I have made, and the next chapter will simply be a list of the OC's. Just a heads-up though: Lost is not really mine. That's right, it's Snowkit! The poor little deaf kit who got carried away by a hawk! Yeah, bit of a spoiler there, but I felt the need to include it because Jayfeather. And yes, spoilers for all of the main series as well as "Firestar's Quest" (I think that's the right one)!_

 **YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED!**

* * *

The pool gleamed with the light of the full moon, the brightness intensified by the cats gathered around it; some duller than others, but all shimmering like the stars. Soon, a black and red mist disrupted the ranks of the glimmering cats; as it approached it took the form of two cats, one small and completely black tom with one white paw, and the other a large black and white tom. They sat near the edge of the pool and stared at the opposite bank, where a path had cleared in the group of cats. Walking along that path were two she-cats; one was a glowing cream color slashed by blackness around her eyes which were a dazzling golden color, while the other had a similar cream coloring but her paws, tail tip, ears, and face were a pale lavender-like color, exaggerating her deep green eyes.

"Eclipse of Stars, Lilacs on a Stream, glad you two could come." The small black tom greeted, bowing his head slightly. The two she-cats sat on the edge of the pool, far from the two males.

"Scourge, Bone. We are pleased to see you as well. It is not often our paths cross. We were done in by a pack of lumbering canines of grey fur." The she-cat with the mask, Eclipse of Stars, stated. She flicked her tail and bowed her own head, not rising until Scourge had.

"I'm sorry to see you two are here, but the past cannot be changed. Only the future can be re-written, just as a river can change course." The Siamese, Lilacs on a Stream, purred. She folded her ears and extended a paw, looking at Bone.

"So wolves had done it. I suppose that is what happens to a group of only five wanders with no real safe nest." Bone replied, folding his ears and extending one paw; retracting it once Lilacs on a Stream had done so first. These were the given courtesies of Moonclan, having been passed to Bloodclan only because of their countless run-ins.

"I'm afraid I did not bring you a gift Scourge, I do apologize for that." Eclipse of Stars meowed, looking at the pool.

"Nonsense," Scourge replied. "We are dead, what gift could you give me? Another life?" He snickered. He had believed in Moonclan's ideas because they were similar to his; there is only one life, and no such thing as starclan. They both were wrong, but that was beside the point.

"Hmm, that is true. But, non-the-less, we do apologize." Eclipse of Stars purred, flicking her ears.

"If you two are done with your private talk, may we get on with the meeting, and discuss what we really came here for." A strong, ginger tom commented; his green eyes mere slits. Starclan hated meeting with the two wandering groups, but it happened every so-often when the time called for it; now was one of those times.

"Well, pardon us _Rusty_ -star, but we enjoy catching up with old friends," Eclipse of Stars retorted, using the orange tom's kittypet name, "we of Moonclan and Bloodclan already have a few in mind; you simply have to choose your own champions, I'll assume you plan to pick cats from your own clans." The she-cat continued, sweeping her tail over the glowing pool, not disturbing the surface once, despite the appearance of a picture; a young all-white she-cat with a burned eye.

No one said anything, but Scourge stepped forward and swiped at the surface, disrupting it with a million ripples. "If she is your champion, I choose these two. He may be deaf and she may not be the most…complete, but in a team they are not to be messed with." He spoke as the image changed to a black-white-and-grey she-cat covered I burns curled up with a completely white tom with a few puncture wounds. Nearby there was a crow sleeping soundly on a burned beam.

"Very well," the orange tom muttered before stepping forward to the pool, "we of Thunderclan choose this young lad." His tone was calm, but a few whispers of disapproval echoed through the crowd as a very petit tom with completely black fur appeared, completely curled up and asleep. "His name is Scourgepaw."

The small black tom in the image looked to be only a kit, and when he rolled over in his sleep, it was clear as to why such a name was chosen. One of his back paws was stark white, glittering brightly in the beams of light that penetrated the canopy of the apprentices den.

"Ha, cute pick." A leopard-printed she-cat mewed with laughter.

"Leopardstar, have you chosen your champion?" The orange tom questioned, moving away from the pool.

"Yes, I have. Her name is Wildfire. Her positive spirit will surely fit them well." The pool rippled again to reveal a large she-cat whose pelt resembled a tigers'. She was sitting still at the entrance to the camp, ears perked, listening intently for any threat. "She just became a warrior tonight."

"Very well; Blackstar, who is your champion?"

A large white tom stepped forward, dipping one of his pitch black paws into the water, forcing the image to change. "His name is Cardinalpaw. I expect the small tuft gawking at him now will follow him." Many sharp gasps echoed through the ranks, even Eclipse Star and Lilac Stream were ruffled by the leader's lack of caring.

"He is only a kit." Scourge remarked, quirking his head to one side.

"I am aware, his name is Thistlekit. He follows Cardinalpaw like a shadow; half the time his mother must find Cardinalpaw to find him." Blackstar muttered, glaring at the pale ball of fluff who was staring at the curled-up ruby-coated apprentice. Blackstar growled quietly, "It is past your bedtime kit." The small bundle fluffed up before it scurried back to the nursery, casting one last glance at the apprentice he had startled into half-consciousness. "He always does that. Has Skyclan chosen their champions?"

The group of cats that had remained completely quiet and still until now nodded, the leader stepping forward and lightly tapping the surface. "Her name is Swallowwhisper, she has a very…Unique way of approaching things." The cat that appeared had a short stump for a tail, with black streaks going down either side to her back paws; the fur on the back of her legs was significantly longer than the rest of her fur. Her coat perfectly resembled a swallow, even as she rolled around in her sleep, the pattern was plenty evident.

"I believe it is our turn." An old black and white tom muttered, stepping forward. He gently dipped his long tail into the water, causing a new cat to appear. She sat, staring at the sky, with beautiful blue and yellow eyes; her onyx coat dappled with specks of white on her paws, tail, and ears. "Her name is Spottedears, she is Windclan's newest medicine cat."

Lilac Stream purred a little, clearly proud of this choice; "I'm sure her knowledge will prove to be immensely valuable on this trip."

"That is why I selected her." The tom replied, nodding his head.

"Very well," Firestar stated, nodding his head; "since we all have our minds made up, let us tell them. I can imagine this will be more of a difficult task for some than it will be for others." He glanced at Scourge and Bone, who simply huffed at his comment.

* * *

Wildfire stared in quiet horror at the Leopard-coated she-cat standing directly in front of her; her coat an undeniable sign that she was Leopardstar.

"Oh, um…did I fall asleep, or…" A mewl from within the nursery and a shushing queen told that was not true, so somehow Leopardstar had come to her world.

"Wildfire…" The once leader whispered quietly, being careful not to alert the rest of the clan, "I have a job for you, a job only you and your positive spirit are capable of."

Wildfire nodded. She had always been an optimist; lost kit? She'd search night and day to prove that things could never get worse. River flooding? Increase in the fish population. Low on herbs? There will always be more. Cat died? They hunt with starclan now. No matter what, she could turn any negative outlook into a positive one.

* * *

Spottedears stared at her leader, Onestar. He had just told her that the previous leader, Tallstar, told him that she needed to go on some crazy quest.

"And pray tell _how_ am I going to be helpful? I'm a medicine cat, not a warrior." She stated, not fully believing what she had heard.

"I don't think Tallstar made this decision lightly. It sounds like other cats are going, cats from other clans, and you are the only one capable of telling signs and knowing herbs immediately." He stated, flicking his ear. He was not in the mood for arguing with the fluffy-eared she-cat.

Spottedears groaned in displeasure. "Great, I'll go get some herbs then. Tell everyone I'll be away for…On second thought, just tell Kestrelflight not to die while I'm gone." The she-cat joked, earning a smile from her leader.

"Don't worry, we will be fine."

* * *

Burns and Lost looked at Scourge, disbelief evident in their eyes; which also held a strange glimmer of hope.

"Look, no arguing, do as I say or things **will** end badly." The small black tom stated, leaving out any room for arguments.

"Very well, we are ready for your commands."

* * *

"Cloud, do stir from your slumber for perchance a discussion." Eclipse lightly poked the pink-tinged she-cat, earning a quiet groan as she awoke from her sleep.

"Oh! Eclipse of Stars, what brings you back down to our home of wandering?" Cloud mewed quietly, rather perplexed.

"We have a task that you and several others must complete; else peace shall be washed away with blood." Eclipse murmured sadly.

Cloud rose to attention, completely intent on listening. "Inform me of my duties, and I shall carry them out as you see fit."

* * *

"Thistlekit will be intent on following me." Cardinalpaw stated, staring at the previous leader of his clan.

"I am aware, but this is not a task for those who are likely to turn tail and run." Blackstar meowed, staring harshly at the small apprentice. "We are starclan, we are _always_ watching."

Cardinalpaw looked down in embarrassment, scuffling his paws. "So, I guess me smacking that dog wasn't so unnoticed, eh?"

"You have no idea."

* * *

"I'd rather not."

"What?" Firestar stared at the tiny black tom before him, said tom was clearly displeased at the news he had just heard.

"I said: I'd rather not. I decline; I don't want to; not a chance!" Scourgepaw growled, folding his ears back; he had enough troubles here _in_ the clan, and now Firestar was telling him to go into the 'Dark Forest' to finally rid the living world of the last link? No, that was stupid.

"You won't be alone, there will be cats from other clans there…"

"And that means what?! They won't like me! Nobody here in this stupid lake likes me!"

"Scourgepaw, please calm down." A dark she-cat muttered, stepping into view.

"Hollyleaf…"

"I understand you think your clan-mates think badly of you, but I can assure you, they are merely afraid. This argument is not helping." She stated, sitting down where she stood.

"Alright, where do I go to meet these other cats?"

Hollyleaf looked at Firestar and smiled. To convince Scourgepaw, you had to point out the positive, and after so many moons of training with him how to battle with his voice, she was still learning about his desires.


	2. OC list (And a minor announcment)

Deceased cats:

Eclipse Star (Eclipse of Stars)- Past leader of Moonclan; Pale on color with a black 'mask' on her face, was known for seeming to glow with the energy from the moon; now walks with Lilacstream.

Lilac Stream (Lilacs on a Stream) - Past medicine cat of Moonclan; A Lilac-tipped Siamese cat, well-versed in unheard-of remedies for illnesses and injuries; walks now with Eclipsestar.

* * *

Living cats:

Fragile Kestrel Who Rolls Forever- She-cat, thin and a dull brown, black stripe down back, green eyes, she is a prey-hunter; often called 'Kestrel' and is part of the mountain tribe.

*Burns- Black-bodied she-cat, dark grey head, white ears and tail, blue eye; Right paw and left eye are missing, has small burn-scratches near these wounds. Wears a dark purple collar with a dented bell, carries a cat-nip mouse. Used to belong to Bloodclan and often acts mad (insane)

*Cloud- A very light grey-pinkish she-cat who tried to save burns; despite being friends with Burns, she is very much sane, and helps Burns keep her own sanity. She lost her right eye in a fight against wolves, and is only alive because she was knocked unconscious. Was a part of Moonclan.

*Lost- A pure-white tom with blue eyes; he is deaf, but knows his way around Bloodclan easily. He was found by Burns when he fell through her nest roof, and she took care of him. He often talks about hawks and how scary they are. A crow, named Shadow, often travels with him. Often was with Moonclan

*Spottedears- Black she-cat with white dots on her ears, paws, and tail, and bi-colored eyes; belongs to Windclan.

*Wildfire- Looks like a mini-tiger, female, gold eyes; belongs to Riverclan.

*Scourgepaw- Black tom with white back paw, a white spot on his chest resembles a dogs' fang, and ice-blue eyes; belong to Thunderclan.

Icefire- a White she-cat with orange paws and muzzle, cloudy-blue eyes; belongs to Shadowclan.

Deathstep- A black and white tom with a wide frame and a pelt pattern resembling a skull and the spine of a cat, has white paws and gold eyes; belongs to Shadowclan.

*Swallowwhisper- Young she-cat whose pelt resembles a swallow's pattern, brown eyes; belongs to Skyclan.

*Cardinalpaw- A tom who has a very distinctive dull-red coat with a tuft of fur sticking up on his head, gold eyes; belongs to Shadowclan.

Tanglepaw- Grey tom with a white spot on head, gold eyes; belongs to Windclan, he trips often.

Acornpaw- Brown tom with light brown paws, blue eyes; belongs to Thunderclan.

*Thistlekit- Tom, pale fur with streaks of black on paws and stomach that resemble thistle scars, green eyes; belongs to Shadowclan.

* * *

 _Those with asterisks by their names will be the main focus. I'm not including all the clan cats because that would be way too many. All the clans; Skyclan, Bloodclan, Shadowclan, Thunderclan, Windclan, Riverclan, and Starclan are in this story. Ravenpaw and Barley are also in this story, along with Breezepelt and his made-up clan of rouges called Duskclan. If you want an OC to be included in the story then say so, please include a description and the clan. OC's can belong to any clan, but be aware that if you want them to be part of Moonclan there are only two open spots UNLESS you provide a reason for why they are not dead. And the Mountain Tribe has a reason for being here, but it will only be apparent later on in the story._


	3. Chapter1: First Impressions

_Hey, look, I live. Anyways, here is Chapter 1 of the story. I hope you all like it. I'm so sorry it's so long. Please leave a review if you will or if you see any mistakes. Thank you and enjoy your chapter!_

* * *

"Swallowwhisper! Open your eyes!"

A sharp jab to the side woke the sleeping warrior, causing her to leap up and allow her head to collide with the ceiling. "Ouch!" The she-cat yelped, folding her ears flat against her head and glaring at the cat who decided to disturb her slumber. "What do you want- Miss Leafstar! What is it you require at this…crescent moon-high?"

"Stop with the weird talking Swallowwhisper, the past cats of Skyclan have an important mission for you." The she-cat muttered, staring at the warrior she was addressing with a look only a mother could give.

"Okay, what's wrong? Surely you would be better than I?" The oddly-colored warrior mewed, flicking her stump of a tail. She had once been a kittypet, bred only to look pretty and not much else, but once she learned of the Skyclan cats she practically tore out the window of her two-leg home herself. She lacked the grace of all other cats, but her larger frame made her shockingly durable, even by large cat's standards.

"The past cats of Skyclan wish for it to be you, Swallowwhisper; aside from that, the leader cannot sleep for such an undetermined amount of time."

"Wait…you woke me up, so I could go back to sleep?!" The large she-cat hissed, fluffing slightly.

"Well I can't talk to you while you're sleeping." Leafstar deadpanned.

"Valid. Alright, so, what's the mission?"

"There are still fragments of the dark forest left-"

"What's that?" Swallowwhisper interrupted, earning a glare from her leader.

"I don't know what it is, but it can only be accessed by dreams. Sleep in the whispering cave for a few nights and so long as you slumber you shall stay there. I will have a Warrior watch you to prevent any harm." Leafstar informed her warrior, hoping to finish this game of telephone. "Now, the past clan has told me that fragments of the dark forest remain in our world; and you, along with a few others, must find and remove these fragments. That was all." Leafstar left, nodding to her warrior.

Swallowwhisper lay in her bed, curling up into an impossibly small ball. She would rest now for a little longer; she had a feeling this was going to be the last bit of peaceful sleep she would get for a long time.

* * *

"You are doing well young child."

"I am no child, Tiger Hidden in the Stars." The thin she-cat stared at the giant tom, ears folded back gently. "Is The One with the Breeze in his Pelt joining us?"

"I'm right here. And please, call me Breezepelt."

* * *

When Swallowwhisper opened her eyes she was greeted by a large, glittering forest. She stared in silent awe, until a strange she-cat came screeching out of the forest.

"I don't remember falling asleep! Onestar! Tell Kestrelflight I'm sorry!"

"Uhhh…." Swallowwhisper now stared in utter confusion as more cats came out of the forest.

"Welp, I'm doomed. Unless Leopardstar says something to Mistystar, I'm in trouble." Another she-cat.

"Thistlekit, we need to move. Do you want me to carry you?"

"No! I'm gonna do it myself!" A _very_ displeased tom, and a tom-kit.

"This place is beautiful!" A dark-furred she-cat gasped, walking with a white tom who remained silent.

Another she-cat emerged from the forest, staring in awe. "So this is the glittering palace of the star-pelted cats. Fascinating!"

A small black and white tom trotted out of the forest, pausing as he looked at the surrounding cats. He looked to be a newly appointed apprentice, why he was going to help was beyond Swallowwhisper's understanding. He stared at Swallowwhisper for a moment longer than the others, possibly shocked by her tail and her large size.

"Hello all!" She called, drawing all the cats' attention to her. The miniature tom was the first to trot over; everyone else walked over hesitantly, possibly intimidated by such a large she-cat.

"Hello, I am Scourgepaw of Thunderclan. Who are you?" he asked, sitting in front of Swallowwhisper.

"I'm Swallowwhisper from Skyclan!" She cheered, hiding her stump-like tail. "How about you all?"

"I'm Spottedears, the medicine apprentice of Windclan. Pleasure to meet you!" The first she-cat purred, trying to feint joy. Her coat was solid black save for her tail, paws, and ears, all of which had spots of white; her coat was also short, void of long flowing fur anywhere except for her ears.

"I'm Cardinalpaw, and this is Thistlekit, as you probably heard. We're from Shadowclan so there's no reason to worry about us!" A small tom mewed, his fur was striking red with a small tuft of fur on his head that stuck up like a crown. The kit he had arrived with was a light cream color, with dark scratches over his legs and stomach.

"They aren't real scars, just fluff!" The kit giggled, tackling Cardinalpaw.

A she-cat with a shimmering coat stepped forward, between her sleek fur and her tiger pattern, it was clear she was not a force to trifle with. "I am Wildfire of Riverclan. You have some dust on your ear."

Swallowwhisper ignored the Riverclan she-cat and nodded to the remaining three.

"I am Cloud, a cat who walked with Moonclan, and one of the few survivors of the grey beast's attack. The rest are scattered, but so long as we live Moonclan thrives." She bowed her head and wrapped her tail around herself, rising after a few minutes. "It is my honor to run with you, cats of the lake, and cat of the gorge."

"I'm Burns and this is Lost. We're from Bloodclan." The dark she-cat tapped the white tom with her tail, who nodded in response. Upon closer inspection, the she-cat had a dark grey head, black body, and white ears and tail. One of her eyes was missing, and on the opposite side her paw was gone. The tom looked to be in not much better condition as he had deep puncture wounds along his back and sides, and with all Swallowwhisper learned from her twolegs, she realized he was deaf.

A light breeze brought the scent of the cats around her to her nose, allowing her to decipher who had what scent. The smell of pines and sap belonged to Cardinalpaw and Thistlekit, the scent of rain and brush belonged to Scourgepaw, the scent of wheat and earth belonged to Spottedears, the scent of water and lilies belonged to wildfire, the scent of salt and a twoleg place belonged to Cloud, and Burns and Lost shared the scent of ash and tar.

"You smell like rocks."

"Thistlekit!"

"She does!"

Swallowwhisper laughed at the miniature kit, purring quietly. "So I'm not the only one deciphering scents. Well smelt little one. The reason I smell like rocks is because I live amongst rocks."

"Yes, she is from the gorge near a two-legged-beast kingdom." Cloud stated quietly, looking at Swallowwhisper with her one eye. "You used to belong to a two-legged-beast, did you not?"

"Indeed, I used to be a kittypet. But Skyclan was just too amazing to not be part of!" The Skyclan she-cat purred, flicking her stumpy tail.

Scourgepaw gasped quietly when he saw the little nub flick, clearly surprised that that was all there was to her tail. "Is that?" He questioned, clearly unsure if he should have or not.

"Yes, it is my tail. I was born with it this way, so it causes no real problems. I'm a little less graceful than most when climbing, but that's okay." The skyclan cat smiled gently, even to this day she got asked about her tail by her clanmates.

"Did the ungraceful two-legged-beasts cause such a strange happening?" Cloud quirked her head, clearly shocked that a cat could still climb, even without a tail for balance.

"They probably were the main catalyst of this mutation; I think my mom had the same tail. My neighbor was also really tiny; I think my owners called him a rug-bug?"

"A rug-hugger munchkin cat." Burns stated in a matter-of-fact tone, looking rather proud of herself. "I, too, was once a kittypet. My true two-leg taught me many things, such as how to spell their words, find clothes for them, and speak some of their language."

"Woah…." Scourgepaw stared in shock at the dented she-cat, clearly intrigued by the idea of a cat speaking with two-legs.

"So, what can you say? In two-leg language I mean." Spottedears asked, flicking one of her fluffy ears.

"It doesn't matter what she can speak, or how many languages she knows. I'm glad you all have arrived safely."

"Hollyleaf!" Scourgepaw cheered, bouncing up and bounding over to a black she-cat with green eyes. "Good to see you!"

"You too; my little apprentice. I see you have managed to make a good first impression, perhaps tales of that little tom have died." The ebony she-cat joked, nuzzling Scourgepaw's head.

Swallowwhisper gave the two cats a quizzical look, clearly perplexed by what the she-cat was talking about.

"Oh, now I see it. One white paw and all black." Thistlekit muttered, hiding behind Cardnalpaw.

"Either way, he is now part of your team. He is one of the toughest and most determined little apprentices I have ever seen." Hollyleaf purred, sitting down. Scourgepaw began rolling around in front of her as if he were a kit, batting at her tail while she swished it back and forth.

"Ah yes, a mighty predator indeed." Burns muttered in a sarcastic tone, rolling her one eye at the small tom's actions.

"In a time of battle, yes; during the calm however…" Hollyleaf giggled, moving her tail away from the tiny tom. He huffed quietly and sat up, licking away some dust that wasn't there. "Regardless of this little tom's actions currently, all of you have been briefed on your assignment?"

Each cat made some noise of agreement, indicating that they were informed of what they had to do. "We must eliminate the last remaining link between our world and the Dark Forest. But I must ask, what _is_ the Dark Forest?" Swallowwhisper questioned, never having heard of the strange place before now.

Hollyleaf straightened, holding her head high as she spoke to all the cats. "The Dark Forest is a place where loners and cats that disobey the laws of the clans go. It is a place where no light shines, and everything is rotten; the water, the trees, and any prey found there. The cats that inhabit that area are especially rotten." The pitch-black she-cat nodded, finishing her explanation.

"I must ask though, if everything is rotten, and it's all a dream, what are we supposed to eat?" Cardinalpaw asked, flicking his ears.

"You will wake every day to eat at least two meals; once in the morning, and once at night. You will all wake at the same time, and once you all have resumed sleeping, you will be transported back to your last location." Hollyleaf stated, casting her gaze around the cats.

"What if we die?"

The group looked at the small tom, who was still near the black she-cat. He looked concerned, having heard tales from Ivypool about how when one dies in the dark forest, they die in real life as well.

"You will wake up." Hollyleaf spoke calmly, fixing Scourgepaw with a stern gaze. "I would not allow Firestar to send you someplace dangerous without a back-up plan to make sure you were safe."

"Sounds like you guys planned for everything…" Burns remarked, flicking one of her ears calmly. She was mildly excited to get this mission underway, it was sure to be an adventure.

"We thought of as many variables as possible. You will have the next day to prepare, and come moon high tomorrow you are to meet here once again."

"Why are we being giving another day? We're already here." Scourgepaw asked, tilting his head.

"Some cats here don't have a medicine cat to look after them. And some have important duties that they must be excused from." Hollyleaf explained, looking pointedly at Burns and Lost. "I wish you all good luck. Now; awaken, inform your mentors if you have any, and prepare for the task ahead of you."

* * *

 _Well, that was the chapter. I kind of write these things as I go, and in one big word document (I should probably not do that), so that is partially the reason my updates are so slow. The other reason is that I attend college, specifically for computer classes. It takes a lot of time and energy, so not helping. Welp, that's all. Good night!_


	4. Chapter2: Early Friendship

_I'm not dead. I swear! This story has just taken a bit of a back seat so people don't yell at me to update other stories faster. Honestly, I do wish more people would read this story. I like it a lot and I plan to write another warriors story set in an alternate timeline. Anyways, to all of the two people who read this, please, enjoy!_

* * *

Scourgepaw awoke to brilliant sunlight filtering through the leaves of the apprentice's den, dappling the cool shade with pinpricks of heat. His supposed "dream" from last night fresh in his mind, it was real and he had no choice in the matter. Not really anyways, since he had agreed to this mission. He had been tasked with informing his mentor, who also happened to be the leader of the camp.

"Let's hope Bramblestar won't think I'm just trying to get out of training." He groaned, going straight to grooming his dust-filled fur. Once Scourgepaw was sure that his black pelt was spotless and shined he crept out of the den and headed for his mentor, who was sitting on top of the high rock, while his deputy and mate delegated tasks.

"Ah! Scourgepaw! Glad to see you up, Bramblestar wants you to go on border patrol with us. We will be heading along the Shadowclan border." The fiery-pelted she-cat exclaimed.

"Will Bramblestar be coming with us? I have something I must discuss with him, and it is a top priority." The miniature black tom spoke quickly, nodding to show that he had heard Squirrelflight.

"Yes, he is. What do you need to talk to him about?" She asked, tilting her head.

"Just something important. It's for his ears only though, so…"

"Oh, alright." The orange she-cat flicked her tail and nodded to the large tabby that was their leader as he approached.

"Everybody ready?" He spoke loudly, holding his head high. All the cats gathered hummed an agreement; Bumblestripe, Squirrelflight, Lionblaze, Falconpaw, and Scourgepaw scurried out of the opening to the camp after their leader.

"Keep up you shrimp!" Falconpaw hissed, his gold and black coat crashing past Scourgepaw as he ran. Scourgepaw stumbled and nearly tripped, gradually falling behind due to his short legs.

"I'm not that small…You stupid!" The tiny black puff hissed, forcing himself to run faster. He couldn't help the smirk that glossed his face as he pulled ahead of Falconpaw, who looked shocked that the tiny apprentice was moving faster. "Bramblestar!" Scourgepaw called out once he was closer to his clan leader. The large tabby looked back, flicking his ear as he waited for the black tom to continue. "There's something I have to talk to you about, it's really import-" Scourgepaw missed all the other cats stopping and in his haste he skidded over the shadowclan border.

He let out a little squeak and darted back to his clan mates, most of whom were looking at him with disapproving glares while one was laughing. "I have an important matter to discuss with you in private, I was saying…"

"And you couldn't have mentioned this before because?" Bramblestar muttered, tilting his head.

"Ah, well, I was going to, but um, I didn't want to hold up the patrol and-"

"Shadowclan is approaching!" Squirrelflight hissed, lashing her tail. Scourgepaw quickly stood up and fluffed up as much as possible, facing the border he had just accidentally crossed. Sure enough, a small string of Shadowclan warriors approached, staring at the Thunderclan warriors curiously.

"Brother, I do believe I smell one of your warriors on our side of the scent marker." A beautiful she-cat meowed. She looked a little like Bramblestar, but much finer and with no white dappling her coat.

"Sorry, my apprentice got a little over-excited and missed the stop." Bramblestar cast a glance at Scourgepaw, who shrunk down in shame.

"Well, at least you can keep up."

Scourgepaw perked up at the familiar voice, his icy eyes drawn to a familiar reddish apprentice. "Cardinalpaw! Have you told your leader yet?" He asked, flicking his ear as the others stared at the pair curiously.

"Sadly no, but I have informed my mentor, Tigerheart. He is fine with it though and intends to give me advice when I awake, however brief it may be." The tufted apprentice spoke calmly, sitting down as he finished.

"Okay, well that's good. Fortunately, I can kill two birds with one paw." Scourgepaw smiled, scratching at the dirt with his white paw.

"Oh, your leader is your mentor?" Cardinalpaw asked, tilting his head.

"Yes, Bramblestar is my mentor. I was going to tell him in a little bit…" The small apprentice glanced at his much larger mentor, who looked confused by the interaction.

"Pardon my interruption, but how do you two know each other?" Bramblestar's sister asked, looking between the two apprentices.

"They're probably conspiring to rise up and overthrow the leaders!"

"Cardinalpaw would never do such a thing!"

"Go home Thistlekit." The two apprentices looked at each other in mild shock as they spoke the same words at the same moment.

Said kit shuffled out of some nearby brush and looked at the two apprentices. "Are you both going to yell at me on our adventure?"

"My adventure; and that would be hilarious. What say, Scourgepaw?" Cardinalpaw asked, snickering.

"That'd be cruel my red-pelted friend; what say we just leave him be on our journey, but give limited and riddled praise." Scourgepaw muttered, tilting his head.

"What journey?" Bramblestar hissed, staring harshly at his apprentice.

The miniature tom looked to his mentor and leader before looking around at the other cats in the group. There was no point in lying, especially if he had someone who could validate his claims present. "Well, the cats of Starclan came to me in a dream last night, and told me that I had to eliminate the remaining shard of the dark forest. And the only way to track them down is to go into the dark forest for an extended period of time."

"Yeah right, and in order to do that you have to sleep, right?" Falconpaw hissed, narrowing his gaze at the small apprentice.

"Yeah, he does." Cardinalpaw hissed, leaping in front of the black tom who was to be his teammate. "Look, I can vouch for Scourgepaw here that what he says is true. If you don't believe me look for a Windclan patrol and ask them about Spottedears the medicine cat's apprentice. I told my clanmates the same thing, but with a Riverclan she-cat who recently became a warrior named Wildfire."

"There were also Lost, Cloud, Burns, and Swallowwhisper." Thistlekit stated, puffing out his chest as he spoke of the other cats who were not close enough to the clans. "They belong to Bloodclan, Moonclan, and Skyclan!"

"Skyclan?" Squirrelflight asked. She had heard her father and mother talk about the faraway clan before in stories, but never thought she'd hear the name ever again. "How do you know about Skyclan?" She asked the Shadowclan kit.

"He followed me. How did he follow me into a dream? Only Starclan knows." Cardinalpaw smirked, glancing at the tiny tom, who looked far too proud of his own accomplishment.

"Ha, Bramblestar, you don't actually believe this Shadowclan scum, do you?" Falconpaw asked, hissing at Cardinalpaw who was still in front of Scourgepaw.

"Mind your own business shiny-pelt. Scourgepaw is your clanmate, shouldn't you at least listen to him?" The ruby apprentice hissed, fluffing up before having his tail pulled on harshly. He looked at the black apprentice he hand been guarding, Scourgepaw had the Shadowclan apprentice's tail in his mouth, a pleading look in his eyes.

Scourgepaw spit out the other apprentice's tail before speaking; "Hollyleaf says that it's best to avoid a fight where possible. Tad says that waiting and biding one's time is best. Cardinalpaw, I thank you for your good intentions, but I believe that with the threat to come our clans cannot afford tension." He held his head high as he spoke, and the red-pelted apprentice couldn't help but stare as the unsure tom vanished; replaced instead by a small, but strong cat who used his common sense and did not allow his emotions to dictate his choices.

Cardinalpaw sighed, relaxing and trotting back over to his side of the border. "You offer a strong argument for which I have no rebuttal, Scourgepaw. I look forward to fighting with you in the Dark Forest." He began walking further into his own territory, nudging a shocked Thistlekit in the direction their camp most likely was.

The rest of the Shadowclan patrol passed confused glances to each other before they settled on Scourgepaw, who was once again scuffing the dirt in a timid fashion. Tawnypelt raised her head high and looked to her brother, speaking clearly; "You have a wise apprentice brother. It would be a shame to lose him." With that she turned away and stalked after Cardinalpaw and Thistlekit, disappearing into the thin ground cover.

"Scourgepaw." Bramblestar's rumbling meow snapped the small apprentice out of whatever stupor he had entered. "I will consider what you have told me, but do know that I intend to converse with Starclan myself. When we get back to camp, visit Jayfeather." With that the leader took off along the Shadowclan border, leaving the rest of the patrol to follow behind him.

Scourgepaw ran at the back of the group, hoping that Jayfeather would be able to support his claim. It was not Starclan that had issued the warning after all, but rather an outside force. Scourgepaw was not sure why he had that feeling, but he did; there was just something off about this whole thing.

They arrived back at the camp by sun high, having stopped to bring back some prey they managed to scent along the way. Falconpaw was carrying several mice, while Scourgepaw was dragging a bird as big as he was.

"Scourgepaw! Get over here!" The small tom huffed as he was called over by the elders. They had to hate him, unlike the rest of the clan that was just suspicious of him. Still, he had to respect their wishes.

"Yes, Mousewhisker?"

"Did you catch a crow?" The old she-cat asked, pointing to the large bird that was now taking up most of the fresh-kill pile.

"I guess. Is that what that bird is called?" Scourgepaw asked, tilting his head.

Mousewhisker nodded, grunting quietly. The bird was quite large, with shimmering black feathers and a large beak. "Yes, that is what that bird is called. You best get it out of here."

Scougepaw fluffed up in shock. He had spent a large amount of time stalking this thing, and miss 'never waste a mouse even if it kills you' wants him to get rid of it?! "Why? Does it offend Starclan?" He hissed, pinning his ears to the back of his head.

"No you idiot! Crows are smart! It's family will now hunt you down forever!" Mousewhisker hissed, standing up to tower over the small apprentice. "Now get that filthy thing out of here before you bring the whole lot of them right to our camp!" She growled, swiping at him as he retreated away to drag the offending offering out of the camp.

He could hear some of his clanmates snickering as he did so, struggling to carry the large creature. Most of the weight was suddenly removed as the bird was partially lifted off the ground.

"Hey there little brother!" The dust-brown tom teased, batting a paw gently at his smaller brother.

"Acornpaw, I can do it myself." Scourgepaw responded, tugging at the bird.

"I know you can. You don't have to though. Mousewhisker…" Acornpaw dropped the crow in order to take a breath before he shouted the next part for the entire camp to hear "…Is a big dumb, rude, old cat with no sense of grace or dignity!"

"What did you say about me you little tramp?!"

Acornpaw grabbed the half of the bird he was originally carrying and looked at his brother. "Run." The two toms took off into the forest, the crow carried ungracefully between them as Mousewhisker screeched at them to come back and say that to her face.

Once the two were a decidedly safe distance away from the camp, they stopped to catch their breath. "You are going to be in _so_ much trouble when we get back there." Scourgepaw laughed at his brother, who simply smiled and flicked his tail in acceptance.

"Hey, better than her picking on you because reasons. Birds of a feather flock together my brother!" Acornpaw responded, sitting down and nudging Scourgepaw gently. Scourgepaw still fell over, causing the two toms to burst into laughter again.

This is why they stuck together; Acornpaw was careful, but not so much that it made Scourgepaw feel inferior. Acornpaw was one of the few cats that actually cared about the tiny black tom, even though he could act like the rest of the clan and view him as either a small berry, an emotional punching bag, or the reincarnation of evil. The only other cat to act this way was their mother.

"What are you two doing out here?" The two toms looked up to see Jayfeather standing there, staring at them curiously, despite not being able to see them.

"Scourgepaw caught a crow for prey, and Mousewhisker yelled at him because he doesn't know much about crows." Acornpaw supplied, poking the bird.

Jayfeather hummed, sniffing the air as he approached. "Not many cats do. We are still learning things about our world, things that some do not want to accept." He gently poked the bird with a paw, feeling its silky feathers as he felt out the size. "I see. This was no easy catch for you Scourgepaw." He looked to the apprentice in question, almost as if he could actually see the small apprentice. "Such a waste. We should perform some sort of burial rite, so his family will forgive us for making his death in vain." Jayfeather stated, going back to petting the bird.

"What do you have in mind Jayfeather?" Scourgepaw interrupted, staring in awe at the medicine cat.

"Perhaps some bones and offerings of fresh food will put them at ease. And make sure to bury him in a place that is beautiful." Jayfeather stated, walking away.

"How about near the lake? That's pretty!" Acornpaw offered, looking at his bother with an excited glint in his eyes.

"No, too open and busy. How about near the ruined two-leg den, with all the cat mint? That way, his death won't be completely in vain!" Scourgepaw stated, bouncing excitedly.

"Sounds good to me!" Acornpaw stated, picking up half of the bird. "You work on the hole to bury him, and I'll catch the prey and gather the bones!"

Scourgepaw picked up his half, happy to have his brother helping him. "Sounds good to me! I'll also clean him off so he's not covered in mud!"

The two toms trotted off to the run-down two-legged den, pleased with their idea. In the brush, Bramblestar and Jayfeather emerged and stared after the two apprentices.

"I don't like it when they do that." Bramblestar hissed, lashing his tail in mild agitation.

"Do what? Work together?" Jayfeather retorted, not waiting for a reply from his leader. "Look, they're brothers, half the clan hates them, and the other half is terrified of Scourgepaw. But look at him, _listen_ to him! He wants to do what is best for the clan, and that's all. He wants to make everyone happy, and even though he sasses most cats, I can't blame him." Jayfeather began walking towards the lake, as he had often begun to do when his aid was not immediately needed. "Just imagine how you would feel if you spent all sun high trying to catch something twice your size, only to find out no one wants it."

With that, Jayfeather left Bramblestar in the brush to stew in his thoughts.

* * *

 _I'm so cruel to my own characters. But anyways, Scourgepaw won't stay a grumpy grouch for long, he's actually more friendly than the real Scourge and his name and current personality are nothing more than a result of Thunderclan's (*coughperfectheroclancough*) own biases._


End file.
